Collins, 37, said Monday because of family and career obligations, he was unable to devote the time required for the board's schedule.

Collins works as a site supervisor for a custom home builder in New York state and lives in New Fairfield with his wife and two children.

Both children, Lauren, 9, and Ryan, 7, attend school in the New Fairfield district.

School board chairman
Paul Bruno
said on Tuesday the vacancy on the nine-member panel will be advertised and applications will be considered next month.

NEW MILFORD

State funds arrive

for sewer project

The
Town Council
last week approved a resolution to receive state reimbursements for money spent to extend sewer lines on the southern part of Route 7.

The sewer extension project is estimated to cost a half million dollars, with the state pledged to reimburse all but $100,000. Construction is under way, and the town needed to sign the resolution to get the funds that it has spent to date on the project.

Mayor
Patricia Murphy
said Tuesday the town has received its check, and the project that includes pumping stations and new sewer pipes is under way.

This work is included in the continual upgrade of the current sewer system that serves properties now in the town's sewer treatment district.

The Sewer Commission wants to expand its 700,000-gallon-per-day capacity to incorporate the remaining Route 7 corridor south to the Brookfield town line and north to the Candlewood Mountain Road area. The goal is to increase the system's capacity to 2 million gallons by 2007.

NEW MILFORD

Gingerbread house

contest under way

Town residents are invited to cast their vote in the third annual high school German IV class' gingerbread house contest.

Photographs of the houses may be seen by clicking the link to the gingerbread houses on the high school's Web site at
http://www.new-milford.k12.ct.us
/ hs/Index.htm.

Votes should be cast by Thursday.

DANBURY

Library announces

holiday schedule

The
Danbury Library
will close for the Christmas holiday beginning at noon on Thursday through Saturday. The library will reopen on Sunday, from 1-5 p.m.

HARTFORD

Police arrest father

in alleged kidnapping

A Chaplin man suspected of abusing his wife and children kidnapped his three kids from state social workers Tuesday but was captured several hours later, police said.

State police on Tuesday issued an Amber Alert for Jeffrey Yeaw, whose last address is on a campground in Chaplin. His wife is seeking a divorce and has accused him of abuse, according to court records.

State social workers took custody of the children - ages 3, 4 and 5 - this fall, said
Charles G. Karanian
, an attorney for Yeaw's estranged wife, Rebekah. Yeaw refused to allow them to go to school or see doctors, Karanian said.

Yeaw was on a supervised visit with the children Tuesday in Willimantic when he sped off with the children, Ezekiel, Jesseniah and Rhienna, police said

"The father drove up and snatched the three of them and threw them in the cab of his truck," said Col.
Edward Lynch
, the head of the state police.

Hours later, police said they found Yeaw and the children in Middlebury. State police were preparing to cancel the Amber Alert.